Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-12-17
CaRISruas FOR TEE HOMELESS.
How SANTA Clans brings BOY 10 the
Founding Households.

How SANTA Clans brings Joy 10 the
Founding Households.
THE FGrrH OF rHz LITTLE NorHEEtEss ONES IN
TRyrn aoop s,Tyr-wBERE THEY CONE FROM AND
WHERE THEY so-wHsT TIE SISTERS SAY About
TrIEK LITTLE CIIAEGEs-
Ff-hty-nve little ehiIdren in one household are
looking forward % Christmas. A little army OF
tnDc,cpce and faIth. they are praying every night
fer santa Claus not 10 forget them IL Is pretty
Big family. many about the same age and they all
believe In santa claus. They have better reason
10 than children, for they Will never discover
that 10 Is the loving hand OF a mother that dis
tributes the good things for Christmas None OF
teen VIII awake At an untimely hour In the night
and discover IN the dim light mother stealing
lightly on tiptoes TO the little stockings hanging
rom the mantei with arms full OF dolls, candies
and nuts, tin horns, picture books and horses that
'.wind up. None win ever have the pleasant flu
SION dlspelled In this way, and come 10 have
deeper love and greater pleasure In the real than
IN the imagined santa Claus. They have no mother.
BELIEF IN SANTA CLAUS.
santa Claus Is less fiction with them than with
other children They are, indeed the children OF
that good saint, and II he forgets them they will
have no Christmas They have come together In a
miscellaneous fashion, tossed up by the hand OF
fate and caught In the lap OF mercyi None OF
them know their true names, and some OF them
have none. Their history Is mystery and Will
forever remain 50. No one knows aught OF their
1nttce1entS except the sisters at 81. Ann -IOr IL
Il at It. AIMS they are-and the sisters are In g
norance as TO some and won't tell what they know
OF any. Some have been brought there by one OF
their parents and placed In the hands or the sisters
because ~ was tbs only safety and salvation for
them. some have been brought In the arms OF
with tenderness that told OF some at home In the
warm arms OF their mother. some have been
found In baskets, Ike Moses, when the 'front.' door
was opened IN the morning. Some have been
picked out OF the snow and frost like the little
SNOW Image, and they looked so cold and Ike the
snow that 10 not at all certain that they would
not melt away when brought into the warm room
with all the rest OF the children And some OF
them have been found on Christmas morning-H
not In manager. IN some place as lowly, smiling
up into the face OF the great world. And now they
are together there brothers and sisters ALL cared
Tor BY their step-nother, Charity. They haNea
PECULIAR CLAIM ON CHRISTMAS,
and they look forward TO IL with all the eagerness
OF other children but their faith In Santa Claus Is
not usually as well rewarded IL Is strange that
people OF means, who think so much OF their own
httie ones at Christmas times, seldom think OF
these. santa Claus nnds 1t hard scrapng TO get
enough cake and candy and toys together Tor their
Christmas tree. on Christmas day they have q
christmas tree. and they give little kindergarten
Christmas week visitors VIII be permitted TO see
the babies and their Christmas tree.
one OF the sisters at ST. AIMS told STAR re-
porter who called there yesterday that for the past
i've years they have had at the Institution on an
average OF 10 infants each year. The number
Be large as formerly. They are received there
when they are day or perhaps but a few hours
Old. and cared FOX until they are big enough TO
gOto
TIE ORPHAN ASYLUM.
But just at present the asylum Is so over-crowded
that some who have reached the age OF six or |
seven are still at St. AIMS Some are baby boys |
and some are baby girls. There are generally ]
about as many OF one as OF the other. When they |
leave there the boys go 10 themselves TO asy-
lum and the girls 10 another. Sometimes visitors
SEE little babies they take a fancy and adopt |
them The Sisters permit that when they are |
assured OF the character Of the people who are !
willing TO make the adoption. Some have had |
ssry good homes bestowed upon them IN this way
parents and mystery OF birth. The sisters never |
tell anything about them. When they come TO st.
equal No one can ind out which have parents |
and which were picked up on the street. None
can have pride or prejudice OF birth
The OTHER HOME.
At the "Washlnyton Hospital for Foundlings"
there are twenty -four babies as plump and rosy
any babies In town, and with voices as strong, |
whether for prattie cry. IL is called hospital
but u Is not, and never wasintended TO be one. 1t
Is home without a sick baby In IL. Here is no |
IT,. 70 ,anta clans. Nocandvi The mother ~ the
home won't allow II. The Oldest child IS but four
years and there Is only one other approaching her
IN age The youngest Is three weeks old The rest
are at the various stages OF baby hood between |
these ages but nearer the latter so. santa Claus
no caDdyi They wont have a Christmas tree. The |
eldest will have dolls and, perhaps, fruit These |
children want 10 ind practical Santa Claus, who
has blankets and flannel and al those things that
are necessary 10 the comfort OF babies who are too
young for more common Christmas trinkets. They |
would IKE 10 MA good Christmas saint with |
stock Of cribs on hand They are a very practical /
lot OF little babies. This Is the only
PROTESTANT INSTITUTE
OF the sort In Washington. II was founded in the
rrst place upon bequest OF valuable lots OF |
ground by Joshua PIERCE, who died In 1869. Money
was got together In one way and another TO erect
the building, ami the institution was opened last
January. The building Is very fine IL IA |
located on the east side OF 18th street, between
and streets. The Institution has for its incor-
porators a large number OF the leading business
men OF Wash ngtOn and most prominent ladies. |
Dr.. Sewers Is the president Of the board Of direc-
little more than three years old when she entered
but she got In the very rst one, before the limit
enter. one little baby was born In the morning |
and was brought there In the afternoon
HISTORY RECORDED.
The history OF each, as far as can be got is |
made matter OF record so that 1t may be Of ser
vice TO them, perhaps, at some time. Cases have |
been known where these records have been the |
means OF establishing the claims OF foundings TO
considerable sums Of money. That's why the |
matron at the .-nospitaI~ the other evening. and
had long talk With her about the babies |
They are the sweetest, best, and prettest lot of
nOtherly pride In her charge. I'VE feed them on |
cows milk. and condensed milk, and some milk !
They ara as hearty, healthy, and happy as you |
please. I do wish you could see Them IL was !
after dark, so, 0f course, they could be dis
tuToed, but the matron continued In their praise
This, you see, will be their home until they are
EIGETEEN YEARS OLD.
You see II Is home; few families keep their |
children under the house-tree longer than that. |
IS they get older we shall require more accommo-
dations; we shall have TO erect other buildings |
They will grow up as our children, except where |
they are adopted OF course, we adopt some out |
when we know they Will get good homes. We |
have |
There are lots of things they want Santa Claus 70
remember them with but won't let my children |
get sick On candy she said she bid the reporter
good evening